RTDNA Awards Journalism's Best at Murrow Dinner

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTNDA) celebrated the best in electronic journalism Monday night as it presented 95 Edward R. Murrow Awards to 62 news organizations at its annual awards dinner in New York in front of over 400 journalists and guests. Overall Excellence award winners in 2011 included CBS Radio News (network radio), WTOP-FM/Washington (radio, large market) and WRVA-FM/Richmond, VA (radio, small market).

"It is important that we honor the excellent journalism produced everyday by creative, determined journalists," said RTDNA Chairman Kevin Benz. "The challenges are great and pressures sometimes overwhelming but these honorees, and those at the regional level as well prove that great journalism still, as Murrow said years ago, enlightens, educates and protects our society."

In the network radio grouping, CBS Radio News received its fifth consecutive Overall Excellence award and was honored with a total of six National Murrows. "We at CBS Radio News have been excited about the night for many, many months," said CBS Radio News' Harvey Nagler. "All of these trophies belong to our incredibly talented staff... One thing we can all agree on is journalism needs to survive on all media platforms."

After winning every award given to a national online news organization in 2010, The Associated Press won eight national awards in 2011, including the award for Overall Excellence. "It matters that organizations like the ones presented here have standards, and we must never let that slip," Kathleen Carroll, of the Associated Press, said during her acceptance speech.

National Public Radio again took home the award for website in the network radio grouping as well as three other awards in the grouping.